batatatamusic

ML’s determination toward FL feels rightful to me. He knows her heart answers his, yet she is held back by the divisions of their clans and the shadows of the past. Precisely because of that past, he refuses to let history repeat itself. His resolve is not to "conquer", but to "protect what could be" — even through hardship.

What I admire in him is that his perseverance!! buttttt is tempered by patience and calm. His strength is quiet . And that is why it never becomes harassment. True power reveals itself in restraint.

The way he drank to quench his desire and drown the bitterness after the kiss was even better than the kiss itself

By episode 21, FL has already said the line ‘We’re seeing each other for the last time’ at least 21 times

In terms of clothing??? what I meant is that this is the first time I’ve seen this kind of design in dramas, and I find it refreshing

Which episode was it when she asked herself that question?

1.A little side note: visually ML & FL , they kind of remind me of Romeo and Juliet (1968), especially in the white dress scenes… and even in some of the more modern-looking shots and Those photoshoots are beautiful !!
2.Ep. 20: the tablecloths are back! The costume designer must have saved a few table runners from the last corporate party and recycled them into outfits for the school disciples 😄
Buttttt It’s actually pretty funny. I feel like the costume designer had a bit of fun creating these looks. And those pants definitely have some Bob Marley vibes going on.

3. Overall, I think the director could have done better, even though visually there are some really beautiful shots — especially all the scenes in the water or by the water.

4.And to finish, as usual, with my signature line: Yiran, you are excellent ✨!!!!!!!!!!!

I really like this series — it feels like something new in the world of dramas. The characters are developed with subtlety; they are not idealized. The ability to reflect social realism is, in my view, one of the styles in which China succeeds in creating interesting content.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the series portrays this era not only in dark tones, but also from a warm, even luminous perspective. It was a time before consumerism, when people were content with little, made many things with their own hands, lived more simply, yet closer to one another. At the same time, the criticism of the regime is not hidden — the atmosphere of surveillance, the possibility of being condemned for a single word, and the restrictions on creative and intellectual freedom (which in the series are, of course, somewhat romanticized at times).

Perhaps it is precisely this balance — between the light of human feelings and the shadow of historical circumstances — that makes the story convincing.

;) agree

8. Did everyone appreciate the beauty of the bathhouse scene?? :))
I adore this scene... It’s hard to explain what it was: neither tension, nor pure domination (because he still remains gentle and respectful), nor tender love, nor pure desire… He clearly enjoys her lively character, and no matter what she does, he remains completely calm…

Even his facial expressions remind me of him when he was young.

In HDY Originally, I like both actors too, and I think they had a really cool chemistry—and on the friendly mood together… and very good-looking. But scenarios like this just don’t work. Plus, with the voice-over, they recite the entire plot to each other as if it were dialogue… I think problems like this often come from the fact that it’s adapted from a book or novel. In the book, you need all the explanations, but in a movie, when you adapt a book, you have to rewrite everything as actions or dialogue. And here, you can really tell there’s no screenwriter lol

I agree with you, and I also wish to trust the scriptwriters’ choices for Yuran, for he always selects with such subtlety and discernment.
We shall see what this project truly holds—it strikes me as very promising.
I believe the general idea here is to reveal that the clans perceived as “good” in the eyes of the world are, in truth, not so, while those deemed “evil” may in fact possess virtue. And then there is the choice the young woman must make, one that challenges her moral compass: whether to follow her heart or to resist her beloved. That, I think, is the essence of it all.

I haven’t watched it in its entirety, of course, and speaking with complete objectivity—even though I am very fond of the lead actor—I would say this is a project that deserves more than just three episodes to prove itself. Alternatively, one might wait until the series concludes before watching. The casting is strong, the directors are highly competent, so there’s no reason why it shouldn’t perform better than the usual commercial yet hollow productions.

That said, the plot details tend to stabilize gradually over time. I must admit, the beginning feels somewhat abrupt in certain aspects. However, on the positive side, it is refreshingly dynamic: nothing is unnecessarily repeated, re-shown, or over-explained. The story moves forward; they show rather than tell, and then proceed. Cinematically, there are some beautiful scenes as well.

Here, the focus is on clans rather than on fully developed individual characters. I would say the only characters given real depth so far are FL and ML. The rest of the characters should probably be seen more as part of a clan than as individuals, I think

"I hate it when drama characters narrate everything with internal dialog"
Finally! Someone talks like me, thank you!! I’m not the only one saying this all the time. For example, the latest one: “How Dare You!?” I dropped the show because I felt like the dialogues were "written" entirely by the script narration itself—like, everything the actors say is just telling us what just happened or what the plot is doing. They leave us nothing to guess! It’s crazy… And then the music hits at exactly the right moment, so your brain can just… file itself away in the closet.

I was joking, of course, but the series is amazing — you should watch it !!!

You’ve been seriously spoiled; you know the plot all the way through lol

Wang Tian Cheng is also great, with a strong screen presence. I really enjoyed him in The White Olive Tree; he truly deserves a leading role. FL’s brother, as well !! as his beloved , also left a very good impression on me. I also love how Hong Qi acts—excellent, in my opinion..

Yes,!!...but... we still have to go through the too-classic trope — the woman who wants to pierce her beloved with a sword🤣

And I find it refreshing — not overworked or overly embroidered, etc. — especially in the first part with the pants! Such a fresh idea! :))) Also, I absolutely love Yiran’s off-white linen/black costume, very high-fashion trendy. Later on, we’ll get the silks, etc… For the girls, it stays pretty basic, and we don’t even have that many female characters in this drama anyway.

Yiran is the plot 😂!!